This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-politics-17576752
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Labour 'failed to connect with Asians in Bradford' | Labour 'failed to connect with Asians in Bradford' |
| (about 6 hours later) | |
| George Galloway's victory in Bradford West was partly due to Labour's failure to connect with the Asian community, the shadow home secretary has said. | George Galloway's victory in Bradford West was partly due to Labour's failure to connect with the Asian community, the shadow home secretary has said. |
| Yvette Cooper told the BBC her party had not won over young Asian voters or Muslim women. | Yvette Cooper told the BBC her party had not won over young Asian voters or Muslim women. |
| Respect Party MP Mr Galloway, who was expelled by Labour in 2003, won the by-election by 10,140 votes. | Respect Party MP Mr Galloway, who was expelled by Labour in 2003, won the by-election by 10,140 votes. |
| He has said his victory represented a "peaceful democratic uprising" against the established political parties. | He has said his victory represented a "peaceful democratic uprising" against the established political parties. |
| In taking Bradford West, Mr Galloway overturned a Labour majority of more than 5,000 at the 2010 general election. | In taking Bradford West, Mr Galloway overturned a Labour majority of more than 5,000 at the 2010 general election. |
| He was previously MP for Bethnal Green and Bow in east London. | He was previously MP for Bethnal Green and Bow in east London. |
| 'Local factors' | 'Local factors' |
| Ms Cooper told the BBC's Andrew Marr programme the by-election was "deeply disappointing" and the party had "lessons to learn". | Ms Cooper told the BBC's Andrew Marr programme the by-election was "deeply disappointing" and the party had "lessons to learn". |
| "I think it is the case that Labour wasn't connecting enough with young voters in Bradford's Asian community. | "I think it is the case that Labour wasn't connecting enough with young voters in Bradford's Asian community. |
| "My sense too is that we weren't connecting enough with Muslim women in Bradford." | "My sense too is that we weren't connecting enough with Muslim women in Bradford." |
| She said there were clearly "local factors" that had been significant in the constituency and warned against generalising about the Asian community because Labour had been successful in other by-elections with significant Asian populations. | She said there were clearly "local factors" that had been significant in the constituency and warned against generalising about the Asian community because Labour had been successful in other by-elections with significant Asian populations. |
| Commentators have suggested Mr Galloway attracted many Asian voters because of his opposition to the war in Iraq and his call for troops to withdraw from Afghanistan immediately. | Commentators have suggested Mr Galloway attracted many Asian voters because of his opposition to the war in Iraq and his call for troops to withdraw from Afghanistan immediately. |
| But the Respect MP has rejected that, arguing that he won support from "all kinds of people" and pointing out that Labour's candidate was, in fact, a Muslim of Pakistani origin. | But the Respect MP has rejected that, arguing that he won support from "all kinds of people" and pointing out that Labour's candidate was, in fact, a Muslim of Pakistani origin. |
| Ms Cooper said she was "worried" about what Mr Galloway would do now he had been elected. | Ms Cooper said she was "worried" about what Mr Galloway would do now he had been elected. |
| "We saw what happened last time, we saw what happened in Bethnal Green," she said. | "We saw what happened last time, we saw what happened in Bethnal Green," she said. |
| "We saw how little, in fact, that he did in Parliament and how little he did to stand up for people in east London, so I hope that he will do more this time because he needs to show respect for the people who voted this time." | "We saw how little, in fact, that he did in Parliament and how little he did to stand up for people in east London, so I hope that he will do more this time because he needs to show respect for the people who voted this time." |
| Labour MP Michael Dugher, former spokesman for Gordon Brown, told the BBC's Sunday Politics that Bradford West was "possibly the first by-election in history that was fought and even won on social media". | Labour MP Michael Dugher, former spokesman for Gordon Brown, told the BBC's Sunday Politics that Bradford West was "possibly the first by-election in history that was fought and even won on social media". |
| "So you had George Galloway with 85,000 followers on his Facebook page [while] our candidate was knocking on doors the old-fashioned way," he said. | "So you had George Galloway with 85,000 followers on his Facebook page [while] our candidate was knocking on doors the old-fashioned way," he said. |
| 'Not fazed' | |
| The Conservative and Liberal Democrat share of the vote also fell significantly in Bradford West, at the end of a difficult week for the coalition. | The Conservative and Liberal Democrat share of the vote also fell significantly in Bradford West, at the end of a difficult week for the coalition. |
| Foreign Secretary William Hague, however, said the government should not be "fazed or deterred" by what had been a "controversial" period, including over its handling of the threatened fuel tanker strike. | |
| He told the BBC he believed his colleagues would have been "criticised either way" - whether they had urged people to keep their petrol tanks topped up or not. | He told the BBC he believed his colleagues would have been "criticised either way" - whether they had urged people to keep their petrol tanks topped up or not. |
| Ms Cooper also set out Labour's plans to make law and order a central theme of its campaign in the forthcoming local elections. | Ms Cooper also set out Labour's plans to make law and order a central theme of its campaign in the forthcoming local elections. |
| "We're going to be campaigning on crime and anti-social behaviour because that is the sort of thing people are very concerned about in streets and communities across the country," she said. | "We're going to be campaigning on crime and anti-social behaviour because that is the sort of thing people are very concerned about in streets and communities across the country," she said. |